Review: Roberta Gambarini's jazz heats up a frigid winter night

Even though she grew up in Turin, Italy, and didn't come to the United States until 1998, singer Roberta Gambarini is no jazz latecomer.

Gambarini, who opened a two-night stand Monday evening at the Dakota jazz club in Minneapolis, grew up listening to her parents' classic jazz records -- a formative background she mentioned onstage -- and started singing in Italian jazz clubs at age 17.

That background helps explain her total, seemingly innate grasp of jazz essentials like swing, bebop scatting, the blues, torch ballads and more. It's easy to see why she has been compared with great jazz-vocal stylists such as Carmen McRae, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan.

In spite of the frigid weather outside, Gambarini must have been well warmed up when she hit the stage. She opened with several a cappella verses of "Where Is Love?" (from the British musical "Oliver!"), displaying her expansive range, warm vocal timbre and precise vocal control.

Then she was joined by her outstanding backup band, which includes three cagey jazz veterans -- pianist George Cables, bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Victor Lewis -- and young alto saxophonist Justin Robinson.

The latter tune was elevated by subtle, empathetic backing by Cables, a great but sometimes undersung pianist.

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Midway through her opening set, Gambarini referenced one of her most fondly-remembered records from childhood, with an octave-leaping rendition of "Sunny Side of the Street," referencing a memorable version recorded back in the 1950s by bebop titans Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Stitt and Sonny Rollins.

With her vocals, Gambarini deftly re-created some of the horn solos from that recording.

Gambarini showed her playful, bluesy side with a swinging version of saxophonist Johnny Griffin's "The JAMS" (a slightly unprintable acronym), smoothly segueing into a Jon Hendricks-style vocalese rendition of "Blue Monk."

Gambarini, whose early career in the U.S. included tours with the late Dave Brubeck, honored the pianist with a languidly swinging take on his "In Your Own Sweet Way," with lyrics written by Brubeck's wife, Iola.

Dan Emerson is a freelance writer and musician in Minneapolis.

What: Roberta Gambarini and her band perform again at the Dakota at 7 and 9 p.m. Tuesday